Winter Storm Could Cost State $75,000 An Hour

This weekend's winter storm could end up costing the state more than $2 million.

New Hampshire Department of Transportation spokesperson Bill Boynton says crews will likely put in about 30 hours dealing with the blizzard, at a cost of about $75,000 an hour. "We've had some workers out since 4 a.m. Friday," he said.

Boynton says the DOT has a fleet of some 740 plows on the job this weekend. About 60 percent are privately owned, and those cost more to deploy than vehicles operated by state workers. Other costs the department will incur from the storm include salt, overtime and a front-end loader in Hampton, where storm surges resulted in some flooding.

The 2013 blizzard won't put any additional pressure on the DOT's budget, Boynton said. Before the storm, the department had spent about $22 million of its $39 million winter maintenance budget. "That's about 56 percent," he said, "so we're right on target."